


The Beginning of Steven Quartz Universe

by MrsSaxon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Post - A Story for Steven, Why the gems really aged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3773971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsSaxon/pseuds/MrsSaxon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rose decides to have a baby with Greg, even if it means giving up her current form, the crystal gems are forced to make a hard decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginning of Steven Quartz Universe

“Well. That’s that then.” Garnet stood.

Pearl scrambled to her feet, shrieking at her, “How can you say that?! Rose is gone, Garnet, she’s gone!” She charged forward drunkenly and beat her fists against Garnet’s hard outer surface. Her desperate fingers scrabbled for purchase, but they just slid down her shiny surface like her endless tears.

Garnet did not stir. Pearl collapsed around her feet, sobbing.

“Greg will be here soon, he’ll need our help. We need to be ready.” With a deep breath, Garnet shifted and she became much taller, older. She clenched her hands experimentally, testing this new form.

Pearl scooted back, shocked, “What’re you doing?”

“Rose’s new form will be no more than a baby. We have to be able to care for it.” Garnet stepped around Pearl’s huddled form. “Are you with us Amethyst?”

The littlest gem kept her back to them. Her nod was stiff, jerky, but she nodded.

Pearl stumbled to her feet again, hugging herself, “B-But the new Rose is half-human, we don’t even know if she-”

“That’s why we have to be prepared. Greg said human babies are a lot of work and need parents to take care of them. We will be Rose’s parents.” Garnet looked squarely at Pearl.

The thin gem bit her lip, dragging her foot across the sand, “I… I understand. But if we do this, then it will be like… like…” She shook hard, trying not to cry.

“Rose is not gone. We will be parents to her like she was to us. She needs us,” Garnet said, grabbing Pearl by her shoulders roughly, “She needs you.”

Pearl looked up into Garnet’s mirrored visor. As ever, she couldn’t see behind it. But she didn’t need to. Slowly, with great hesitation, Pearl shifted too, growing in Garnet’s arms until she was nearly as tall as she was. If possible, she seemed to have grown even thinner.

Garnet dropped her hands and together they turned to Amethyst.

“Amethyst?” Pearl called.

Amethyst stood up and turned to face them, her face stained with angry tears, “Why should I have to change, huh?! I don’t want to be Rose’s parent, I want Rose back!”

“Amethy-” Pearl reached out.

“No! Rose wanted to change; Rose wanted a baby with Greg so she chose to change! That doesn’t mean we have to!” Amethyst glared at her friends defiantly.

“You don’t have to.”

“Garnet! Of course she-”

“No, she doesn’t,” Garnet wouldn’t let Pearl interrupt, “We can’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do. And if she doesn’t want to take care of Rose, that’s fine. But we are going to take care of Rose, Amethyst, no matter what. And if you’re not going to then you can’t stay here.”

Stunned into silence, Amethyst stopped glaring at them and looked down at her hands. “What can I take care of? I’m only good at destroying.”

“Rose didn’t think that,” Pearl spoke up.

Amethyst sniffed and rubbed her eyes, “I still don’t want to be her parent. I’m not going to boss her around and tell her what to do. I want to be her friend, best friend!”

“You can take care of her and be her best friend. That’s acceptable,” Garnet concluded.

Amethyst shifted, becoming larger and larger, big enough to take care of a small little gem like she once was. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“Hey, guys!” all three gems turned to see Greg nearing the fence, a bundle in his arms.

“Wow, you’re all different,” he said when he could see them up close, “is it because Rose…?”

“Sort of,” Pearl said, all three of them looking at each other awkwardly, “is that…?”

“Oh! Right, yes.” Carefully Greg held out the little baby, letting the gems crowd in to look at him.

“She’s so… different,” Amethyst muttered, “bald.”

“I’m afraid that’s human babies for you,” Greg smiled weakly.

“Where’s her gem? I don’t see it,” Pearl hovered anxiously.

“Right, right, it’s here on his belly, like it was on her,” he unwrapped the baby carefully to show them all, “sorry, babies are very vulnerable and I didn’t want him to get cold.” Greg wrapped him up again and cradled him close.

“Strong grip for little hands,” Garnet cooed as the baby held onto her finger, “He’ll be a fighter for sure.”

“Why do you keep saying he?” Pearl stamped her foot, “Rose always went by she.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Greg scratched his head, “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to see what the baby likes to call itself in the future.”

Amethyst rocked on her feet eagerly, “What’re you gonna call baby Rose?”

“Mmm… I was thinking… Steven.”

“Steven? What kind of a rock is Steven?”

“Steven. I like it,” Garnet said firmly.

“Yeah, Steven Universe. It’s got a nice ring to it don’t you think?”

**Author's Note:**

> The popular theory of why the gems aged is out of grief. I wanted to give a slightly different interpretation.


End file.
